Texas Trio Signs With Oklahoma

NORMAN -- With a solid recruiting class signed last fall, Jim VanHootegem, head track and field coach at the University of Oklahoma, has announced three additional signees who will close out the Sooners' second full year of recruits.

Signing with the Sooners were Alexandria Arndorfer, Frisco, Texas; Meagan Gray, Buda, Texas, and Hailey Patterson, Arlington, Texas.

Arndorfer, who competes for Prince of Peace Christian School, is a distance runner.

“We got to know Alex during her visit to OU and we really came away impressed,” VanHootegem said. “After seeing her run at the Texas Relays, we feel that she is the perfect type of athlete for our program. She has a great presence about herself on and off the track. She will fit really well with our young and quickly improving women's distance crew.”

Gray, a pole vaulter from Hays High School, is the top-ranked vaulter in Texas in both indoor and outdoor competitions.

“Meagan is a really determined athlete,” VanHootegem continued. “We really love her competitive fire. She has been quite successful at the state level in Texas and this year has really burst onto the national scene as well. We are feeling really good about developing a nice squad of women's vaulters at OU and Meagan will play a huge role in that.”

Patterson, who competes for Kennedale High School, is a multi-talented athlete, competing in the sprints, horizontal jumps and relays.

“Hailey is coached by a great OU athlete, Jimyria Hicks, so I'm sure she has heard a lot about the Sooners,” VanHootegem added. “In addition to having good sprint speed for a jumper, we were most impressed with Hailey's attitude. She seems to really love the training as well as the competitions. Loving the sport is certainly a prerequisite for success at this level and she seems to have that.”

The Sooners signed 11 during the November period and one of those signees joined the squad in January. OU added another transfer who enrolled in January and, with the three spring signees, the Sooners have added 13 recruits for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Alexandria Arndorfer, Prince of Peace Christian School, Frisco, Texas, Distance

PRs
1600: 5:10.18
3200: 11:14.76

 Senior Year (TAPPS 4A)

Cross Country State
• Champion: 2 mile
• Academic All-State

Junior Year (TAPPS 4A)

Cross Country State
• Runner-Up: 2 mile
• Academic All-State

Track State
•    Champion - 3200 meter
•    Third place - 1600 meter
•    Academic All-State

Sophomore Year (TAPPS 4A)

Cross Country State
• Champion: 2 mile

Track State
• Champion – 3200 meter
• Runnerup - 1600 meter

Freshman Year (TAPPS 3A)

Cross Country State
• Runnerup - two mile

Track State
•    Champion – 1600 meter and 4x400-meter relay
•    Runnerup – 3200 meter
•    Awarded “Most Athletic” through freshman to junior seasons

Summer (USATF)
•    Advanced to the Junior Olympics in Baltimore, Md.
•    3000 meter - 10th, 11:20
•    1500 meter - 22nd, 5:06

Why I chose OU:

“OU stood out to me. I felt at home the moment I met the girls on the distance team. They were all so welcoming in every way, and I felt like a part of the team immediately. It was a program where I felt I could fit in. I also felt that the program's future is so bright, and I wouldn't want to miss out on the opportunity to be a part of it.”

Meagan Gray, Hays High School, Buda, Texas, Pole Vault

• Currently ranked # 1 in Texas both Indoor (13-4) and outdoor (13-9) pole vault

• Currently ranked #2 in the nation in outdoor pole vault with a 13-9

• Two-time state qualifier Silver and Bronze holder (4a 2013/2014)

• Set 2015 Hays High school record holder in outdoor pole vault with a 13-9

• Four-time Junior National Champion (two-time AAU and two-time USATF)

• Nine-time All-American (New Balance Indoor Nationals twice, USATF five times and AAU three times)

Why I chose OU

“OU is a great fit for me -- it is what I was looking for in a program. Meeting Coach Dagata was a great experience. His enthusiastic approach to everything is awesome! The team was really welcoming and I felt really comfortable. Coach V has made quiet a name for himself in my home state of Texas, helping to build an amazing program as assistant coach at A&M. I have complete faith that Coach V and his staff will be able to develop the track and field program at OU into something special. I want to begin my journey helping the team take on some of these championships and complete my education at a great institution!!! GO SOONERS!!!”

Hailey Patterson, Kennedale High School, Arlington, Texas, sprints and long jump

• Currently ranked #2 in the long jump 19-1 (2014 second place AAU Jr. Olympics)

• 4x LJ AAU Jr. Olympic qualifier

• 4x100 relay state champs (state record)

• 4x200 state champ

• 4x200 Texas Relays champs (Texas Relays record)

• Third at 2014 Texas Relays long jump

• Three-time district long jump champ

• 2014 Regional long jump champ with a 19-3

• 2014 district high point individual

• Personal best times: 100 meter 11.96, 200 meter 24.8, long jump 19-3

Why I chose OU

“I chose OU because I love the coaching staff and their résumés. When I came for my visit, I felt at home and that I could improve on each one of my events. The campus was beautiful and I felt the track team was one big family, which is what I wanted in a school. Under the leadership of Coach V, I feel I can become one of the top collegiate jumpers and sprinters.”

Players Mentioned

Meagan Gray

Hailey Patterson

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics